Listen to Michigan, a pro-Palestine voting campaign urging Michiganders to vote “uncommitted” in the state’s Democratic primary, received over 100,000 votes yesterday.
The Democratic Majority for Israel, a pro-Israel PAC, wasn’t impressed, calling the attention the vote is getting a media-created narrative.
In a series of posts, the PAC called Listen to Michigan’s turnout unimpressive.
“The press jumped to create a big story when only a tiny one was apparent,” the PAC tweeted today. “After a major campaign, uncommitted did 2.6 percentage points better in Michigan than it did against Barack Obama in 2012 when no one was asking for an uncommitted vote. Obama won MI by 9 points in Nov.”
Despite the PAC’s claim, the Listen to Michigan campaign and uncommitted Michigan voters in the 2012 election have little to do with each other.
Listen to Michigan encouraged voters to vote “uncommitted” in Michigan’s Democratic primary yesterday to protest President Joe Biden and his “funding of war and genocide in Gaza.”
Regardless, Listen to Michigan pulled more votes yesterday than all three third-party candidates did in Michigan during the 2012 election combined.
While Biden still won, the “uncommitted” turnout was far greater than expected.
“20,000 people voted uncommitted in 2012 over 100,000 did last night your cope is adorable though,” replied one user.
The Democratic Majority for Israel also retweeted posts from a political scientist who said the greater number “doesn’t mean anything,” referencing ballot initiatives by Michigan to increase turnout.
“There is an intriguing conflict between data reporters and analysts who regard the MI uncommitted vote as ~ordinary and story telling reporters who see it as a major indicator of problems,” the PAC tweeted today. “When analyzing data, stick with the data people.”
However, the Democratic Majority for Israel might simply be stewing in its own inefficacy.
It reportedly sent text messages to Michigan voters yesterday urging them against voting “uncommitted.”
Dearborn-based political strategist Abbas Azalawieh shared a screenshot of the PAC’s text blast to his Instagram story. Listen to Michigan started in Dearborn, the country’s first Arab-American majority city.
“Voting ‘uncommitted’ only helps Donald Trump and his hateful agenda,” the PAC said in a text message. “Joe Biden has made huge strides for us.”
One user flagged their claim it was a media-created narrative.
“DMFI clearly thought this was also a story considering they ran ads warning people not to vote,” they responded.
On X, pro-Palestinian voters reveled in its posts.
“You’re embarrassing yourself,” Jewish Voice for Peace political director Beth Miller tweeted at one post, showing the “uncommitted” vote had already exceeded expectations when counting in the primary had just gotten underway.
Said one user, “100,000 Michigan Democratic voters would like to have a word with you…”